


Up a Tree

by Mild_Otaku



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, High School AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Yuuri is a dancer, boys school, viktor is a soccer player
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 13:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16833649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mild_Otaku/pseuds/Mild_Otaku
Summary: a quick little ditty inspired by the@wewritevictuuriprompt: “We’re dead. But I have a plan.”





	Up a Tree

It wasn’t uncommon to find Yuuri reading in the gnarled branches of the giant oak outside the dining hall. Tucked high up in the leaves, it was a great vantage point to watch the other boys as they walked across the quad. Not that Yuuri watched the other boys. No, he would read, sometimes doze off, and he definitely did not keep a look out for when Viktor Nikiforov would go to lunch. After all, it was common knowledge that Viktor took an early lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, after conditioning with Coach Celestino, pink from exertion, hair damp from a quick shower, and still unfairly radiant, surrounded by his teammates. When Yuuri left dance practice he was always sweaty and exhausted looking. No such luck looking like a glowing god for Yuuri. 

One fateful Wednesday morning found the Soccer team’s conditioning class cancelled due to flooding in the weight room. Of course the flooding was only discovered after they had already done their two mile warm up jog around the campus. Water slowly crept away from the weight room on the far side of the gym. Celestino cursed under his breath and sent Georgi to find the groundskeeper. Turning to stare into the dark expanse of the gym, he sighed. 

“Alright boys, I’m dismissing class early because I don’t feel like dealing with this and all of you. Go back to sleep, go to the library, go to breakfast, I don’t care. Just stay out of trouble and I’ll see you all for evening practice.”

The team cheered and ran towards the showers. Viktor laughed at the irony of Michele sobbing about hating morning jog and yet being the first to reach the locker rooms.

“What are you laughing at old man?” a certain blonde freshman snarled towards Viktor.

“Cheri, don’t make such ugly faces,” Christophe slung an arm around Viktor’s shoulder, “we wouldn’t want that pretty little face of yours to get stuck that way.”

Yuri scoffed at Chris, following Otabek into the locker rooms. 

“So what does the great Captain Viktor Nikiforov plan to do with the rest of this beautiful autumn morning?” Chris asked his best friend wrapped in his arm.

Viktor tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I never get breakfast during the week because of practice, and I’m tired of instant oatmeal in my room, so I think I’ll have breakfast and head to the library before afternoon classes.”

“That does sound nice, but I think I’d rather go back to sleep.”

After a hot shower, the boys parted ways on the path back to the dorms. Viktor turned towards the quad and Chris headed further up the hill to his room.

It really is a nice morning. Viktor thought as he walked through the open area. Maybe I should study out here instead.

***

Wednesdays were probably Yuuri’s favorite day. Inevitably, Professor Feltsman would let Physics go early and Yuuri had a free period after lunch. This meant that not only would he have time to read in his tree before afternoon classes, but he would also get see Viktor walk from the sports complex, across the quad and into the dining room. Maybe the sight of the other boy took Yuuri’s breath away. He’d never admit it, but his friends always knew when Viktor was in close proximity based on the hitch in Yuuri’s breathing. Maybe that’s what made the tree such a great observation point. Yuuri wasn’t hiding in the tree; the tree just happened to provide great coverage and made an optimal hiding spot.

Yuuri scampered up the thick trunk. His feet found the knobs and holes easily as he scaled higher. Nestled in the branches, he leaned his back against the center of the tree and pulled out the poetry book he had to finish before classic Lit later. He never did manage to read the things he was supposed to read when he had the time. Settling in, Yuuri opened the small book and his blue poodle bookmark slipped through his fingers and floated down to the grassy earth beneath him. 

_Eh,_ he thought, _it’s not going anywhere. I’ll get it when I get down._

“Hey Yuuri,” Viktor called up into the tree. “I think you dropped this.” 

Yuuri gasped and his breathing stilled. It was only ten-thirty, there was at least another half hour before the soccer team should be walking towards lunch. 

He looked down and, sure enough, there was Viktor, holding up his worn book mark. No teammates, no bright pink cheeks, just slightly damp hair that hung limply on his face.

“Oh, yes, thank you Viktor.” Yuuri stammered and reached down to grab the bookmark barely within reach. “Shouldn’t you still be in class?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound like a stalker.

“The weight room was flooded, so Coach let us have the morning off.” Viktor shrugged. “I never thought to climb the trees here,” Viktor walked around the tree, obviously sizing it up to see the easiest route to Yuuri. “How often do you read out here?” Viktor tilted his head, thought briefly, reached out to grab the stump of a branch and began climbing up the tree. 

“Um, when it’s nice out and when Professor Feltsman lets us go early.”

Viktor laughed, pulling himself up next to Yuuri, “so you mean every day?”

He hummed, “more or less. Sometimes on test days he falls asleep waiting for us to finish and we wait for him to wake up before we leave, so those days we stay the whole class.”

“You might be his only class that does that. We always just leave when we’re done and he wakes up to an empty classroom when the bell rings.” 

Viktor settled onto a branch, facing Yuuri, so close that his knees touched Yuuri’s thigh. Yuuri looked down at the point of contact and then up to meet Viktor’s eyes. 

“This is a really nice spot you have here, Yuuri. I would have never known you were here if I hadn’t seen you climb it. I’m glad the weight room flooded.”

A slight pink began to grow across Yuuri’s nose. Viktor meant he was glad the weight room flooded because he liked the tree. Right? Not that he was glad to spend time with Yuuri in the tree. Right? The contact and the closeness were quickly becoming too much. How was he supposed to finish this set of poems with Viktor so close to him?

“I’m, uh, glad you like the tree?” Yuuri turned back to his book. Maybe if he ignored Viktor he could pretend he wasn’t there, so close to him, with his knees in Yuuri’s thigh. 

Viktor pouted slightly. “Yeah, it’s just I never get to see you anymore. You with dance practice and me with the soccer team, and we don’t even have any classes together this semester. I only ever see you when I’m leaving lunch and you’re walking into the dining hall.”

Yuuri could feel the pink spread to the tips of his ears. _Yeah, that’s by design,_ Yuuri thought. _Make sure you see me but there’s not enough time to talk so I don’t make a fool of myself._

“Oh! I know! Yuuri! If you’re out of class this early you can eat lunch with me and Chris! Normally we have lunch around this time and then go to the library before afternoon classes. And it’ll start raining soon, so you’ll have to start studying in the library anyways.”

“Yeah, good point…”

***

The next week found a very distraught Yuuri being pulled from his tree, near the dining hall, for an early lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by an overly eager Viktor. The week after that found a cautiously excited Yuuri waiting for a quite pleased Viktor and an extremely amused Chris. The third week, it rained.

Yuuri marveled at the fact that he was indeed sitting in an overstuffed armchair, perpendicular to the very old, very comfy couch where Viktor sat, their knees occasionally grazing each other, in the corner of the second floor of the unusually busy library. The relative peace and comfortable silence was disturbed by heavy footsteps.

“Damn it.” There was a hiss. Yuuri and Viktor looked up from their texts. “I hate when it rains. Everyone comes inside the library and ruins everything.” Yuri threw himself onto the couch next to Viktor and tugged his boots off. “I’m cold, I’m wet and I’m tired. Get wrecked old man,” and with that, Yuri leaned against the arm rest, put his feet in Viktor’s lap and put his arm over his eyes.

“Shhh… Rest little kitten.” Viktor patted Yuri’s knee and went back to his book. Otabek rolled his eyes at his grumpy companion and sat at the nearby table with Chris. They continued working and reading for a while until Chris had to get leave for class. Viktor snuck a glance at Yuri, who was now curled up in the fetal position. Otabek had his back to them with his big DJ headphones on and was working on something on his laptop.

“Pack your bag up,” Viktor whispered to Yuuri, “I’ve got a great idea.” He winked at Yuuri, who was confused and slightly concerned, but followed his orders nonetheless. Viktor slipped his book into his pack and pulled out a felt tip marker. Now, Yuuri was full-blown concerned. Viktor pressed his finger to his lips and gestured for Yuuri to head towards the staircase. Yuuri started walking and watched in horror as Viktor tied Yuri’s boots together on the floor and started drawing on Yuri’s face. It was when Viktor started writing on Yuri’s hand that the sleeping cat began to stir. Yuuri knew things were about to go south and he booked it to the stairs. Half way down the stairs, Yuuri heard a curse and a thud, so he started descending faster. Viktor flew past him on the banister and held out his hand at the bottom of the stairs. 

“We’re dead. But I have a plan.” Viktor was positively impish as he laughed.

They ran hand in hand, past startled student librarian and out of the library, into the grand hall, and through the East corridor door. Once in the quad, Yuuri knew where they were headed. Holding their bags close to their chests, they ran through the rain, splashing in the puddles along the walk way. Once they finally reached the tree, Viktor looked back “He hasn’t caught up yet! Hurry, Yuuri!”

Luckily, it had only rained on and off all day, so the ground was only slightly muddy. Yuuri deftly climbed the tree and Viktor quickly followed. They had barely gained their footing, standing in the tree, when they heard yelling coming from the entrance to the East corridor.

“Viktor! I’m going to kill you!” Yuri shouted into the rain, as he ran, laces untied, boots loosely hanging onto his feet, across the quad and into the dining hall, with a running handle bar mustache and uni-brow. 

Yuuri and Viktor held their breath and the tree until Yuri was safely out of sight. In what can only be described as joyous laughter, they stood in the tree, one hand on the sturdy trunk, and the other hand on the other boy’s shoulder. Gasping for air, they finally stilled, wiping tears from their eyes. 

“You were wrong. That was an exceptionally bad idea.” 

“You’ve you wounded me.” Viktor fake crumpled in distress against the tree. 

“What was so important to write on his hand that you woke him up?”

Viktor looked up at Yuuri, mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Get Wrecked.” And the wet fools fell into another fit of giggles.


End file.
